BROGUES, BROGUES, GLORIOUS BROGUES

Brogues; shoes of unquestionable distinction I hope you'll agree? I literally cannot get enough of them. I'm not sure what it is about them, the masculine charm or the comfort? The way they add an edge to any outfit or the fact that you can wear them all year round? I feel the classic shapes really sum up great british style, but that is just my opinion after all. What do you think?

Brogues are the complete opposite of the towering heels that my eyes used to be automatically drawn to; they're strong, versatile and full of character. There are so many amazing colours to choose from nowadays, you can really lace with love and they're certainly my flats of choice! I wear them all summer with floral dresses and in winter with wooly tights or skinny jeans and my fur coat.

The ones in the picture above are the latest in my collection and are from Zalando. They have so many amazing styles it took me forever to choose these beauties. What I'd really like next is a leopard or dalmation print or even a glittery statement pair, they would be amazing! Are you a fan of them?

Wahanda ''wah-‘händ- aaaaaah''

Wahanda ''wah-‘händ- aaaaaah''
noun; Website that provides access to the best beauty & wellness treatments and therapists.

Has anybody heard about them or used the website before? Basically, if you haven't, you're missing out for sure. To put it simply, it's like group-on, but for beauty treatments and spa breaks. Discount prices for locations all over the country, so why pay full price? If you’re wondering where your nearest spa break could be, whether to wax or shave, what to eat before yoga or maybe you’re just curious about colonics, the Wahanda website can help you to gather together a scrapbook of everything you need to know and all the exciting spas and clinics around the world you want to try out.

What I love most about the Wahanda site is the way you can search. You can look by price, by location, by treatment, by best sellers, anything you want really! It means you can really get really tailor made results and not have to browse irrelevant offers! I 100% genuinely love this website; infact, since scouring all over the deals, straight after this i'm going to book myself in for a one night spa break! It's 50% off, so it would be rude not to, right? £49.50 is such a cheap price, anybody that's used a spa before will know. All within the £49.50, you get:

Overnight Stay in a double room
Complimentary bowl of fruit in your room
Full English breakfast the following morning
Mini Pedicure (30 mins)
Mini Manicure (30 mins)
Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage (25 mins)
Deluxe facial (25 mins)
Full use of the spa facilities
Plus 20% discount on any additional treatments pre-booked with the spa
As well as £10 per person discount for a 3-course table d'hote meal with coffee in the evening
Use of the Swimming pool, Sauna, Jacuzzi, Steam room and Gymnasium.

Such an awesome deal, I'm super excited. What's your favourite beauty or spa break  treatment to have? I'm so indecisive, I never know what to choose! Will you be using wahanda.com to book your beauty treats from now on?

HUNKY DORY

These trousers remind me of Rupert Bear, but actually, I since realise his were yellow they are not very similar at all. They're from H&M a month or so ago and I have the matching blazer (I don't wear them together, rest assured), you might have seen it in previous posts. My bag is also H&M, the handle comes off and I bought it to use as a clutch for a wedding. I love this bag but you really can't get much in it and since I'm a massive hoarder, I rarely narrow my belongings down enough to fit in it. I can't remember where my shoes are from, they have been worn to death and you can't read the inside anymore. Since you can't see them very well, they're black suede with brown wedge heels; god I love wedges. Chunky knit jumpers seem to be frequently occuring in my outfit post recently, this is just a cheapy Primark one but definitely nice and warm even so.

I feel like I'm coming down with the lurgy, yuck. I'm a bit sleep deprived from working so much and I don't think that's helping. The first month or two that it gets really cold I always come down with something. Seems like a lot of people are actually, from reading lots of blog posts so atleast I'm not the only one. It's the Aussie VIP party on Saturday, so I'm just praaaaying I don't get worse before then.

I've got such a backlog of things to post about, anybody else get like that sometimes? I've been sent some lovely lovely things I want to tell you all about, as well as other babble. Before I forget to metion it, I've got a couple of giveaways/competitions coming up in the next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled!

NEW BOOTS ON

Lets face it readers, genuinely warm winter boots that aren't UGGs are pretty hard to come by. UGGs are a bit of a marmite boot, we all know they make you look like you have elephant feet, but they keep your feet toasty. Whether you like them or not, this video here is worth a watch, it's bloody funny.

Back on topic, I have found a pair of magic boots. Boots as warm as the elephant feet ones, but oh my, they are a million times nicer. They are by a company called Bear Paw whose tagline is 'Live life comfortably - I love it! I got them from the Nature's Shop website and they sell them for £112. They are soft suede on the outside, sheepskin on the inside with gorgeous metallic studs on the front and lace detailing on the back. It's the details that make me love them most I think, I've never seen any as nice before and so pleased to own them.

If you've been reading the blog for a while, you'll know that when I can, I like to buy eco-friendly products, hence the fact I'm about to tell you all about Nature Shop! Nature Shop is an online retailer selling ''premium nature inspired" brands and products that are kind to the body and to the environment. They say they are committed to making a positive difference to the world that we all live in and have a specific focus on preservation of the natural environment and in helping the lives of children who will inherit this beautiful world of ours. How nice, right? They sell lots of different brands, with products ranging from loafers to trainers, to sheepskin boots; there's lots to lust after I can tell you now!

I love promoting companies like this one, we all need to be conscious of the environment nowadays, and what better way to help than by buying eco-friendly shoes eh? Haha! I've literally not taken these boots off in days, they're just so warm! Considering they're so much cheaper than their competitiors and more importantly SO much nicer, it seems like a no brainer! What do you think of my new boots?

COLOUR ME IN

This is my new jumper from Pixie Knitwear. I absolutely love everything Pixie come out with, so when this beauty landed on my doorstep, I was over the moon! It is so warm, I'm amazed; it's freezing today and under it I only had this sleeveless dress but even so I was lovely and toasty. Warmth = a massive gold star to Pixie!

You might recognise my handbag from an earlier post; It's from Cloth Magpie's A/W11 collection. I thought it finished the outfit off quite well and used it when Rich and I walked down to the waterfront for some lunch. My platform wedge boots are from Miss Selfridge and I think they were £50. I desperately tried to not buy them, but I fell in love with them and couldn't resist. Turns out though, not that practical for walking reasonably long distances, should have known! Ha.

Another day off for me found me doing a bit of uni work, boring but necessary! My next essay deadline is february, but seeing as I left the last til days before, I thought I'd get started now to make up for it. I've also been baking choc chip shortbread; I thought about doing a recipe post which would be a first for this blog, but not sure if anybody would be interested in it?

 Is anyone going to the Aussie party? I'm in need of a (fairly) dressy dress - excuse the stupid phrase - for it and I can't seem to find any that catch my eye. Any ideas girls, someone must have seen some nice ones?

PRIME TIME

I fear I'll regret this tights-less outfit more and more as the day goes on, it's bloomin' freezing. I just love my little black bow socks paired with my Allegra boots so decided to brave it and get my legs out for quite possibly the last time this year.

My dress is last season Miss Selfridge paired with my Vintage leather jacket, Topshop Allegra boots, Sock Shop socks, and my close to death MIU MIU bag. I say close to death, because it's ruined. If you follow me on Twitter you might have seen me whinging about my Topshop Kristen jeans and how the dye from them had rubbed off on EVERYTHING. The back of this bag is dyed indigo blue and it wont come off, my white vintage bike seat is now blue, underwear is blue and the backs of a few pairs of shoes too. FAIL TOPSHOP, EPIC FAIL. It just won't come out - any one had a problem like this before that they've solved? I've tried everything I can think of. I actually emailed topshop and they want me to send my jeans away to be 'tested' or something ridiculous - not sure if I can be bothered with the hassle, y'know?

Anyway, enough moaning from me in this most I reckon! What's everyone up to today? I've got a couple of days off work so I'm planning to be productive but not sure what to do, yep I know that makes no sense. You seeeeeee, I had a couple of essays that had to be in yesterday that of course I left to the last minute, so I've been stressed all week panicking and cramming work in here, there and everywhere. Now it's handed in, I still feel like I have a million things to do and no time, except I don't... Anyone know that feeling?  I think I'll just make the most of having nothing to do, maybe have a look round some charity shops or something!

Oh, I forgot to tell you all about my watch! Ah, I love it so. I found it in a charity shop for £10 last year some time and I was over the moon with it and wore it every day. When we moved it got packed away and I forgot it even existed, but I found it this morning and i'm just as happy as when I first bought it. Love that feeling, like shopping in your own home. Quite funny really, just realised I've been wearing it for a few hours but haven't wound it up or set the time - it's currently telling me ten past one which it certainly isn't, ha!

DUSTING KNUCKLES

1. Kenneth Jay Lane    2. Max and Chloe    3. Liz Larios    4. ASOS    5. ASOS   6. ASOS  

7. Andara Lapis    8. ASOS    9. Ebay    10. Blu Bijoux



You all know I love my big knuckle dusters of rings, these are a selection of beauties I'm lusting after at the moment. Hint hint to family/friends/rich if you read this. Has anybody seen any nice ones on the highstreet? I much prefer going in to a store any buying something than waiting an age for it come in the post/not being in and having to go to the sorting office to get it (pet hate, grrr). Come on, at least a few of you must detest that too, right? Leave me your rings suggestions, I'll be grateful!

THIS IS WHERE I DRESS

The post title is rather blunt and to the point, I hope none of you mind my lack of imagination today. Since talking on Twitter (you can follow me here if you don't already) about having to buy yet another wardrobe to house my ever expanding clothing collection and my dressing room in general, I've had quite a few of you getting in touch and asking all about it! It's not quite as amazing as it seems but I do have a dressing room nonetheless.

When Rich and I were house hunting, we only looked for 3 bedroom houses despite there being just us two because we have so much stuff between us. I mean, we have one of the downstairs rooms as literally just to house all of the instruments Rich has - you would not believe the number of guitars in our house. I have too many clothes to keep in the bedroom so the third bedroom is my walk in wardrobe; ridiculous, but i'm not complaining.

So for all of you that asked, here are some pictures of my dressing room. Ludo is amongst them as he loves sitting in there, so many things for him to climb around on and claw at (grr), I love him even though he looks evil in that picture! What kind of storage solutions do you all have for your clothes and shoes? My room is forever in a mess and I'm always looking for new things to help keep it tidy!

3921 PAIRS

With a mug of Earl Grey, I'm sitting and scouring through 3921 styles of shoe and trying with all my might to decide on one pair to call my A/W11 must have favourites. Yes, genuinely almost 4000 pairs and it's in no way an easy task, I have to say. There were these Coco et Abricot Dingl ankle boots that are decorated with alcoholic beverages, two pairs of Jeffrey Campbell Litas both tugging at me to purchase them; these american flag print ones and these geri halliwell spice girl screaming glittery goodness. I even considered comically featuring these Roxy pink fluffy slippers because, well boy I bet they're comfy. Plus, with Rich not letting me put the heating on until he's cold too - fact: Rich is never cold and I'm always frozen - then I'm sure they would keep my toes bloomin' toasty. However, I couldn't do it and in the end came to decide on these beasts..

These House of Harlow 1960 Ava's. They're priced at £240 from Sarenza.co.uk and boy do I think they're worth it. I was meant to choose a favourite within the theme 'Great British Style' but, what's so great about british style is that we don't stick to conventions. Walk down any london street and you'll be met with quirky, eccentric styles of dress with equally frivolous personalities behind them.

I chose these because they're just the right amount of outrageous. They're so fabulously in-your-face and unlike any boring old leopard print boot I've seen from lower priced retailers. I just love the leather strap and stud detailing. They're the type of shoe that would work with absolutely anything because they'd clash the right amount. They would make my mum say 'oh, they're different' and Rich would tell me I look ridiculous when I'd walk around in them paired with my pjs when the postman delivered them first thing in the morning. Frankly, I think that's the best way to judge a shoe.